NSindex Data Dumps

Readme for the extended database dumps

Last updated on 1% August 2021

Overview

This document applies to the extended database dumps from NSindex (officially the
NationStates Index).

A new database dump of this type comes out if there is a credible danger of the
death or permanent incapacity of Minoa, currently the only webmaster of NSindex.

Contents

The extended database dump consists of the following files and folders:

File name Description

readme. pdf This file is the document that you are reading now.

revisions.xml | This file is an XML‘ dump that holds all publicly-accessible
versions of each article and page on NSindex.

images This folder is a mirror of banners and newspaper ephemera
from NationStates, to protect NSindex from bandwidth theft
concerns.

nsdata This folder holds NationStates API snapshots for certain
events, such as the Nuclear Apocalypse.

up Loads This folder holds all user uploads on NSindex.

File tree

On 7" February 2018, the uploads folder moved to the root of the website, to make
upgrading via Secure Shell (SSH) easier, and to allow the Internet Archive’s
Wayback Machine to archive images without having to enter the MediaWiki
installation directory.

For information about setting a custom location for uploads, please visit:
https:/Awww.mediawiki.org/wiki/$wgUploadDirectory

[root]
images + Image repository folder
nsdata + NationStates API snapshots folder
up Loads - Uploads folder
W - MediaWiki installation directory
L_LocalSettings.php - MediaWiki settings

1 XML is an abbreviation for Extensible Markup Language.
1

Copyrights

The text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence:
for more information, please visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Imported Wikipedia templates are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike 3.0 licence: for more information, please visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(WP:CC BY-SA

Different terms may apply for uploads and mirrored repositories.

Importing the database backup into MediaWiki

NSindex recommends using Secure Shell (SSH) on a server running Debian or
Ubuntu.

macOS is acceptable, but Minoa has only tested MediaWiki with MAMP Pro and
Homebrew: the latter is necessary for certain Linux components, such as librsvg and
wget.

For instructions on importing the XML data dump, please visit:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:ImportDump.php

For instructions on importing the uploads folder, please visit:
https ://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:ImportImages.php

For instructions on enabling the image repository, please visit:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/$wgForeignFileRepos

You also need to enable InstantCommons, so that the database dump can show
images from the Wikimedia Commons. For instructions on enabling
InstantCommons, please visit: https:/Awww.mediawiki.org/wiki/InstantCommons

Extensions

NSindex uses several extensions to ensure cross-compatibility with many Wikipedia
features, as well as to improve user experience and to deter spam and vandalism.

Required extensions

You need to install and enable the following extensions for the database dump to
work properly. Extensions with a website link do not come bundled with the latest
version of MediaWiki, and you need to download them from the MediaWiki website.

Extension Link

CategoryTree

Cite

CodeEditor

Extension

Link

CookieWarning?

Extension Page

Disambiguator

Extension Page

Gadgets

GeoData

Extension Page

ImageMap

InputBox

Interwiki

LabeledSectionTransclusion

Extension Page

MobileFrontend

Extension Page

ParserFunctions

PdfHandler (PDF Handler)

Poem

Scribunto

SyntaxHighlight

TemplateStyles

Extension Page

TimedMediaHandler

Extension Page

WikiEditor

You must also download and install the Minerva Neue theme, because
MobileFrontend depends on it to work properly. You can download the theme by

visiting: https:/Awww.mediawiki.org/wiki/Skin:Minerva_Neue

Optional extensions

NSindex also uses the following built-in extensions, but not installing them is unlikely

to affect the database dump as they are related to user experience and deterrence

against spam and vandalism.

Extensions with a website link do not come bundled with the latest version of
MediaWiki, and you need to download them from the MediaWiki website.

Extension Link

AbuseFilter Extension Page
AntiSpoof Extension Page
CheckUser Extension Page

ConfirmAccount (Confirm User Accounts)

Extension Page

ConfirmEdit

2 You only need the CookieWarning extension if your server is based in the European Union, Iceland,

Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

3

DismissableSiteNotice

Extension Page

Echo (notifications system)

Extension Page

LocalisationUpdate

Nuke

Renameuser

ReplaceT ext

SandboxLink

Extension Page

SpamBlacklist

TemplateSandbox

Extension Page

TitleBlacklist
UploadsLink Extension Page
UserMerge Extension Page

Themes (skins)

Skins with a website link do not come bundled with the latest version of MediaWiki,

and you need to download them from the MediaWiki website.

Extension Link
MinervaNeue Theme Page
MonoBook

Nostalgia Theme Page
Timeless (beta) Use WMF version
Vector (default) Use WME version

NSindex currently uses the WMF versions of the Timeless and Vector themes, for

compatibility reasons.